The $100K Mindset Shift: The Right Way to Market a Listing with Ricardo Bueno

If we were to ask you, what would you say is the biggest mistake agents make when they get a new listing?

According to Ricardo Bueno, Head of Partnerships at Follow Up Boss, the biggest mistake agents make is that they keep taking the spray and pray approach. AKA, they put up the listing on the MLS, cross their fingers, and hope it sells fast.

If you're feeling even a little bit triggered right now, this one's for you.

Today, we break down Ricardo's groundbreaking mindset shift when it comes to marketing a listing, and generating many more in the process.

So strap in, and grab a notepad. Or maybe some tattoo ink. Because we have a feeling you're going to want to come back to this one.

If you'd rather watch or listen to our full conversation with Ricardo, check out our recent /RealEstate episode on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.

In a fast-moving real estate market, the way agents treat each listing can define the trajectory of their career. Many focus only on the transaction at hand. But what if one listing could be the source of five more?

In our latest /Real Estate podcast episode, marketing expert Ricardo Bueno posed a powerful question that should reshape how every agent approaches their work:

“What if how you market this listing could generate $100K more in future commissions? How would you think about your marketing then?”

This isn’t just a hypothetical. It’s a mindset shift—one that separates top producers from those stuck in the feast-or-famine cycle.

Spray-and-Pray vs. Strategic Leverage

Too many agents fall into what Ricardo calls the “spray and pray” trap: they get a new listing, they put it up on the MLS, and they let it sit there hoping it somehow sells fast.

Unless you've been living under a rock, you know full well that this is not going to cut it in today's market. 

But even if we took the current context out of the equation, this should never be how you approach a listing.

Why? Because this transactional mindset keeps you in survival mode. You're hoping for the best and then you move on to your next listing, without ever building a sustainable long-term strategy.

Instead, Ricardo suggests you view each new listing as a marketing asset. A megaphone that can help you amplify your brand and generate new leads.

“Everything in business is leverage,” Ricardo says. One listing has the potential to turn into five if you market it correctly.

This is behind what Ricardo considers the most successful mindset that is fueling the realtors who are truly thriving in today's unpredictable market:

"What if the way I marketed this listing could generate me $100,000 more in commissions in the future?"

Re-read this question. Tattoo it on your arm. Write it on a post-it note and stick it in your bathroom mirror so you can see it first thing in morning.

In 2022, realtors reported that 27% of their business came from repeat clients and referrals. This means that realtors are earning more from the same number of sales. 

You don't need plenty of listings. You need to be smarter about your current ones.

Let's break down how.

Thinking Beyond the Sale

This transaction-to-leverage mindset shift starts by asking why this listing matters—not just to the seller, but to your brand and your future pipeline. Consider:

·  What story does this listing tell?

·  Who’s watching how you market it?

·  What impression are you leaving on neighbors and future clients?

Each listing is an opportunity to showcase your process, values, and service—not just your inventory.

Are you creating behind-the-scenes videos of the property?

Are you hosting open houses every weekend?

Are you writing your ad copy in a way that truly entices the potential buyer? And if so, are you actually advertising in the channels where that ideal buyer is hanging out?

To take a page from Stacy Zellner's playbook—if you have a listing with a huge backyard for horses, are you posting flyers about it at local stables and ranches?

Your Listing As a Megaphone

As Ricardo put it, “Having a listing is the best megaphone you’re going to have in a market.”

A single home on the market gives you:

 Visibility through yard signs and social media posts

 Content for Instagram Reels, walkthroughs, and open houses

 Opportunities for door-knocking and neighborhood outreach

 Trust through repeated branding and presence

This is the opposite of “one-and-done” marketing. It’s the foundation of exponential growth.

Having your listing up on the MLS should just be the starting point for this flywheel effect (more on this later).

Becoming a Storyteller

A listing isn’t just a property; it’s a narrative. 

Ricardo recommends leveraging the StoryBrand framework (developed by Donald Miller), where the client is the hero, not the agent. Too many listings showcase the agent’s headshot, their accolades, or vague promises like “Now is a great time to buy!”

Instead, Ricardo recommends that through your content, you:

1.  Help buyers visualize their lives in the home.

2.  Highlight features that matter emotionally (not just bed/bath counts).

3.  Frame the home as a solution to the buyer’s dream or problem.

You're not the main character here. You're Yoda, guiding Luke Skywalker to his ultimate destiny.

Or in less nerdy terms, you're the person helping the main character get to their dream outcome.

Differentiate or Die

You're probably tired of us saying this, but in truth, most of us have access to the same listings.

And besides, an agent with a mediocre listing but a great local presence and phenomenal content is going to outperform an agent who has a unique listing but nobody knows.

So, the question you need to ask yourself is: how are you different?

To stand out in a crowded market, you must develop your own unique “flavor profile.” Yes, R&D—“rip off and duplicate”—is a decent starting point. But copying others isn’t the end game.

“Do it until you add your flavor profile to it." Ricardo advises, "Because if you don’t, it’s just going to suck.”

Your voice, style, and approach must be authentic. Otherwise, you're just another agent in a busy market.

Some good questions to guide you in this flavor profile quest:

??  Are you the agent who can really romanticize these listings and make the buyers feel like their future belongs in that house?

??  Are you the numbers and figures agent, whose factual approach is to consistently educate leads about the state of the market, and why it's still a great time to buy?

??  Are you the local celebrity, going to school plays and backyard sales, who knows everyone and is always connecting people who can help each other out?

You can come up with the character that best fits your personality. But what you won't be able to do is be everything to everyone. A much better approach is to be consistently great in one niche category. 

Connection Over Content

Good marketing isn't just mass-produced email blasts or AI-written fluff. It creates moments of genuine human connection.

Ricardo offered an example of a handwritten note he sent with a gift box. It wasn’t AI-generated—it was heartfelt and specific:

“You’re the kind of person who makes everything look effortless, even when the pace is anything but. Your attention to detail… your ability to stay steady in chaos… it’s rare and it’s noticed.”

That’s not just marketing. That’s memorable.

These are the kinds of thoughtful details your clients never forget.

And honestly, when you’re working with a red-hot lead, what’s five extra minutes to write a personalized note that could win you a lifelong client?

The Flywheel: It’s Not a Funnel, It’s a Loop

Traditional real estate marketing views leads as pouring into a funnel and converting out the bottom. But Ricardo urges agents to shift that thinking toward a flywheel—where great experiences generate repeat and referral business long after the transaction.

“What are you doing to create a flywheel so that your past client doesn’t just disappear?”

The real value is in the long-term relationship. Testimonials. Referrals. Community credibility. Trust compounding.

Final Thoughts: Think Like a Brand, Not a Broker

When you approach listings with the mindset that your marketing = your future income, everything changes.

✔  Tell better stories.

✔  Create more useful content.

✔  Build deeper trust.

✔  Focus on lasting value—not just quick closings.

Marketing isn’t the end of the transaction—it’s the beginning of your next one.

“The power of words matters,” Ricardo concluded. “The way you talk about your listings—that’s your brand.”

 Want more from Ricardo? Watch his full /RealEstate episode on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.